Officials slow to release audit

Sunday

Jan 31, 2010 at 12:01 AMJan 31, 2010 at 11:42 AM

A Columbus school committee voted to accept and release a new transportation audit during a public meeting Thursday, but district officials in charge of records refused to provide a copy to anyone but district administrators.

A Columbus school committee voted to accept and release a new transportation audit during a public meeting Thursday, but district officials in charge of records refused to provide a copy to anyone but district administrators.

Columbus City Schools attorney Larry Braverman said he needed to review it to make sure it didn't contain sensitive information. He refused to review the audit, which was critical of the district's oversight of private school-bus vendors, at the meeting.

"I'm very busy," Braverman said.

District spokeswoman Kim Norris agreed with Braverman that the document approved by the Audit and Accountability Committee couldn't be made public even though it had been released by a public vote minutes before.

"That is unacceptable," said committee head Stephanie Groce, who is vice president of the Columbus school board. "It is unacceptable that after a report is approved by the committee and released that anyone, including the media, cannot get a copy of it."

Board President Carol Perkins, who also is on the committee, didn't return a phone call or e-mail seeking an explanation.

District officials provided the report on Friday. There was no indication that Braverman had removed anything in it.

-- Jennifer Smith Richards

jsmithrichards

@dispatch.com

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